Ventura County ICE raid: Farmworker killed, others unaccounted for, union says
Farmworker dead after Camarillo ICE raid
After a massive ICE raid at Camarillo farms, one farmworker has died. More are reportedly critically injured, and more still are unaccounted for. All told, immigration agents arrested about 200 people.
LOS ANGELES - A farmworker died, and others were critically injured during federal immigration raids on farms in Ventura County on Thursday. Other workers - including U.S. citizens - remain unaccounted for, according to the United Farm Workers union.
What we know:
United Farm Workers, the union which represents farmworkers, shared a statement on X following the ICE raids at Glass House Farms facilities.
"Many workers - including US citizens, were held by federal authorities at the farm for 8 hours or more," the statement said. "US citizen workers report only being released after they were forced to delete photos and videos of the raid from their phones."
Ventura County Fire officials told FOX 11 that they took eight people to the hospital after the raids.
Later Friday, the union confirmed that one of the farmworkers had died. His family identified him as Jaime Alanís. Alanís allegedly fell off a roof while fleeing from agents. On Friday, Alanís' family confirmed to FOX 11 that they had taken him off of life support.
According to the Associated Press, Alanís worked as a farmer, picking tomatoes, for 10 years. His relatives said he called his wife in Mexico during the raid to tell her immigration agents had arrived and that he was hiding with others inside the farm.
"The next thing we heard was that he was in the hospital," Juan Duran, Alanís' brother-in-law, said.
A doctor told the family that others who brought Alanis to the hospital said he had fallen from the roof of a building. Alanís had a broken neck, fractured skull and a rupture in an artery that pumps blood to the brain, said his niece Yesenia.
Alanís' family is fundraising to pay for his medical bills and burial. Information on that fundraiser can be found by tapping or clicking here.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Undocumented kids found during raid of Ventura County farm: DHS
The UFW also said it was also aware of reports of child labor on site, and is asking for independent legal representation for the "minor workers, to protect them from further harm."
According to the UFW, farmworkers are excluded from basic child labor laws.
"It is unfortunately not uncommon for teenagers to work in the fields. To be clear: detaining and deporting children is not a solution for child labor," the union said. "These violent and cruel federal actions terrorize American communities, disrupt the American food supply chain, threaten lives, and separate families."
Tension rises at anti-ICE protest in Oxnard
Things got tense near the scene of a federal raid at a farm in Oxnard as a group circled around an unmarked white SUV. It is unknown if the SUV was tied to ICE, Homeland Security or CBP.
The backstory:
On Thursday, protesters clashed with federal immigration agents during simultaneous raids conducted at Glass House Farms in Camarillo and Carpinteria.
SkyFOX was over the scene in Camarillo where dozens of vehicles from Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection blocked the road in a largely agricultural area lined with fields and greenhouses.
SUGGESTED: ICE agents, protesters clash during raid at Ventura County cannabis farm
Images showed dozens of demonstrators gathered on a road between fields where uniformed officers stood in a line across from them. In other images, white and green smoke were seen as protesters retreated. Other images showed protesters shouting at agents wearing camouflage gear, helmets and gas masks.
Immigration officials confirmed to FOX 11 that they had detained about 200 people accused of being undocumented immigrants.
The Department of Homeland Security said officials also found several undocumented minors.
"@ICEgov and @CBP law enforcement rescued 8 unaccompanied migrant children from what looks like exploitation, violation of child labor laws and potentially human trafficking or smuggling," the DHS posted on X after the raids. "We take our responsibility to protect children seriously and will continue to work with federal law enforcement to ensure that children are safe and protected."
Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott posted on X that 10 undocumented minors at the Camarillo farm, eight of them unaccompanied, were found, and Glass House is now under investigation for child labor violations.
"This is Newsom’s California," he added.
Federal agents tear gas protesters in Camarillo
A major federal raid on a cannabis farm in Camarillo led to a massive clash with protesters. Federal agents deployed tear gas, and one vehicle was seen driving through the crowd.
Just before 8 p.m., DHS officials reposted video originally shared on X by Gov. Gavin Newsom, in which he referenced President’s Trump’s "Newscum" nickname for the governor and then calls the president "the real scum."
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"Why are there children working at a marijuana facility, Gavin?" DHS’s post reads.
What they're saying:
In a statement on X, Glass House acknowledged it received verified immigration and naturalization warrants and that the company complied.
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"Workers were detained and we are assisting to provide them legal representation. Glass House has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors," Glass House said. "We do not expect this to affect operations moving forward."
'This is fascism': Protesters speak against ICE
An ICE raid at a farm in Camarillo Thursday sparked massive protests, with one protester calling the continued immigration raids and Donald Trump administration "fascism," and referring to Trump as an "American Hitler."
Dig deeper:
The incident comes as federal immigration enforcement agents have ramped up arrests in Southern California, heading to car washes, farms and Home Depot parking lots to take people into custody while stoking widespread fear among immigrant communities.
The Trump administration has had the National Guard providing protection to federal immigration agents carrying out the raids, and this week it sent a large caravan with guns and horses to MacArthur Park in Los Angeles.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:
- ICE agents, protesters clash during raid at Ventura County cannabis farm
- Judge considers blocking immigration raids in Southern California amid ACLU lawsuit
- California mayor warns residents to stay indoors amid ongoing ICE raids
Earlier this week, Los Angeles County, along with eight local cities, announced that they're joining a lawsuit against the Trump administration, calling federal agents' tactics "unconstitutional," arguing that they're more meant to instill fear than to protect the public.
The Source: This report draws directly from statements made by the United Farm Workers (UFW) on X, providing their perspective on the ICE raids and the status of workers. Additionally, it incorporates information shared by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott on X, detailing their findings and actions, along with a statement from Glass House Farms. The Ventura County Fire Department provided information about the number of people hospitalized. The family of Jaime Alanís provided information about him and his death.